Mother and ex-boyfriend of Casey Anthony testify

Photo by: Joe Burbank

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo

Cindy Anthony cries as she testifies during murder trial of her daugher, Casey Anthony, at the Orange County Courthouse, in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, May 28, 2011. Casey Anthony is charged with murdering her daughter, Caylee. (AP Photo/Joe Burbank, Pool)

Asssociated Press

ORLANDO, Fla.

The mother of a Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter gave a tour of the family home, including a playhouse built for the toddler and the above-ground pool the defense team claims the girl drowned in.

Cindy Anthony testified Saturday at her daughter’s murder trial that she and Caylee went swimming on June 15, 2008 — the last day she saw her granddaughter.

Casey Anthony, who is charged with first-degree murder in the toddler’s summer 2008 death, wiped away tears with a tissue during her mother’s testimony. Prosecutors contend Casey Anthony suffocated the girl with duct tape. If convicted, she could be sentenced to death.

Cindy Anthony was not asked directly Saturday whether she thought the young girl drowned. The trial will resume Tuesday.

Casey Anthony was born in Warren in 1986 to George and Cindy Anthony, who lived in Howland before moving the family to Florida in 1989.

Through most of her testimony, a photo of young Caylee remained on display on television monitors along the courtroom. Anthony eventually interrupted her questioning, asking prosecutors to remove the photo.

“I can’t look at my granddaughter without getting upset,” she said.

Casey Anthony’s former boyfriend, Anthony Lazzaro, also testified Saturday about the hours after the Anthonys reported Caylee’s disappearance to authorities. He described a text message exchange in which he was trying to get Casey Anthony to reveal where the toddler was.

“If they don’t find her guess who gets blamed and spends eternity in jail?” the text message read.